Franko's Map of Orange County Coast

Printed on waterproof, rip-proof plastic. Available folded or flat laminated (like a placemat)

Map size: 15" x 22.5"

FM-OCCF (Folded $6.00) ISBN 1-931494-07-X
FM-OCCL (Laminated $10.00) ISBN 1-931494-32-0

Franko's Map of Orange County Coast

Side 1 Franko's Map of Orange County Coast is the best dive map of Orange County ever made. Besides Orange County dive spots, the map also features a nice shaded relief map of Orange County from Seal Beach to San Clemente, with the major roads and freeways to help you get to your favorite coastal spot. The ocean is shown in pleasing blue shades, which indicate descending depths, according to NOAA charts. Newport Canyon, which tends to focus southerly swells into big surf near Newport Pier, can be easily recognized. Franko's Kelp Forest Creatures shows the viewer what might be encountered offshore when snorkeling or scuba diving. Dive spots all along the coast are noted and described. A few of Franko's favorite surf sites are also noted. Details of all of the surf spots are featured on another map, of course - Franko's Map of Orange County Surfing.

Side 2 of Franko's Map of Orange County Coast is a zoom in of the middle of Orange County, which are its best and favorite diving areas. This includes Corona Del Mar and Crystal Cove State Underwater Park on the North, and goes all the way through Laguna Beach to South Laguna. The most notable dive sites, especially those around Laguna Beach, are shown and described per Franko's 35 years of personal visits and dives there. They include Irvine Cove, Crescent Bay & Seal Rock, Shaw's Cove, Diver's Cove, Picnic Beach, Rocky Beach, Main Beach, Cleo Street Barge, Cress Street, Wood's Cove, Moss Street, Victoria Street, and Treasure Island. The detailed coastal map is also handy for fishing or kayaking. The notable trails of Crystal Cove State Park are also shown as they follow the ridges and canyons from Moro Beach inland. Crystal Cove's trails are detailed on Franko's Map of South Coast Wilderness, and the sea life and layout of the Crystal Cove Underwater Park are depicted on Franko's fish card of Crystal Cove Underwater Park.

Side one captions are as follows:

SEAL BEACH - N side mushy waves good for beginners surfing. S side rarely breaks, but can be great when head high or above on SW swell. Winter is best time with Santa Ana winds blowing offshore

ANAHEIM BAY BREAKWATER Beg - Int 10' - 25'
Sandy beach entry. Heavy surf mainly in summer. Lobsters and halibut in and around breakwater

HUNTINGTON HARBOR
Great kayaking with entry right along PCH. Kayak rentals

BOLSA CHICA STATE BEACH
Scattered peaks best to surf in W swell with E wind. Best when almost head high in winter. Sandy bottom

BOLSA CHICA STATE BEACH 5' - 30' Beg - Int
Entry in surf line of sandy beach. Sandy bottom. Halibut. Thornback rays. Surf perch. Corbina. Clams

HUNTINGTON CLIFFS - As good as Orange County surfing gets in fall and winter. Good in
SW, W & NW swell, shoulder to head high. Sandy bottom

HUNTINGTON BEACH - Earned it's nickname, "Surf City, U.S.A." with most consistent surf break on the Orange Co. coast year-round. Best in fall and winter. Best when shoulder to head high in E wind. Sandy bottom

HUNTINGTON BEACH 5' - 20' Beg - Int
Entry in surf line of sandy beach. Sandy plains. Halibut. Octopi. Surf Perch. Corbina. Pismo clams. Sand dollars

RIVER JETTIES - Juicier surfing that Huntington in good SW swell to head high. All seasons. Sandy bottom

UPPER NEWPORT BAY
Fabulous, serene kayaking in ecological preserve. Bird watching. Launch at North Star Beach or from where the bay goes under PCH. Kayak rentals available in both launches

NEWPORT HARBOR
Boating and kayaking in one of the world's busiest small boat harbors. Fabulous waterfront estates and yachts

NEWPORT PIER 5' - 25' Beg - Int
Entry in sand and surf. Best in winter. Near submarine canyon. Pier pilings full of life. Invertebrates. Game fish. Bat rays. Sand sharks. Barracuda. Halibut. Sole.
Caution: Fishermen casting lines from pier

NEWPORT POINT - Big left break during S & SE Baja hurricane swells. Best when overhead+ late summer or fall. Sandy bottom

TREASURE ISLAND (GOFF ISLAND) 10 - 25' Beg
North end of Aliso Beach Sand entry. Private beach Next to dive area. Patchy reefs. Lobsters. Photogenic

ALISO BEACH 10' -25' Beg - Int
Sand entry at south end of beach. Reefs. Rocks. Ledges. Surgy surf. Lobsters. Garibaldi. Moray eels

THOUSAND STEPS BEACH 5' - 30' Beg - Int
Actually just 220 stair steps to beach. Reefs. Kelp. 20' wide by 8' high arch on north side, 300' from beach amongst rocks which break surface

SALT CREEK - Great barrels on days when the surf is 2' overhead in a SW, W or NW swell. Preferred in E Santa Ana wind. All seasons, but fall and spring are best. Bottom is sand and rock in places

SAN JUAN ROCKS 10' - 25' Adv
Rocky shore entry off Dana Point. Dolphins. Migrating gray whales near. Lobsters. Scallops.
Kelp bass. Opaleye. Garibaldi. Caution: Usually poor visibility. Currents. Boats

DANA POINT HARBOR
Boating and kayaking in beautiful harbor and outside harbor to Dana Point. Easy kayak launch for dive trip to San Juan Rocks

HOLE-IN-THE-FENCE 20' - 50' Int
Beach entry. Scattered reefs. Sand. game fish. Halibut. Sheephead

NORTH SAN CLEMENTE BEACH 10' - 40' Int
Beach entry. Scattered rocky reefs offshore. Game fish. Halibut. Bat rays

SOUTH SAN CLEMENTE ROCKS 5' - 40' Int
Boat or kayak entry over 1 miles offshore (visible from pier). Rocky reef breaks surface. Game fish. Halibut. Bat rays. Lobsters deep in their holes

Captions from side two:

Crystal Cove State Underwater Park (see also Franko's fish card. map of Crystal Cove State Underwater Park):

Tide pool life & shells protected (take nothing). Recreational fishing permitted per California Fish & Game 10664 (certain fish species & lobsters in season).

HISTORIC ANCHOR 10' - 18' Beg.
1000 pound anchor from 1850's schooner found in Newport Harbor

CORSAIR Adv.
WWII Navy F4-U Corsair crash site (1947). All features protected.

REEF POINT & SCOTCHMAN'S COVE 10' - 60' Beg - Adv
Sandy beach entry to extensive reefs to 1000'+ offshore.

ROCKY BIGHT & CRYSTAL COVE
10' - 45' Beg - Adv
Path from Los Trancos parking to sandy beach south of Historic District. Excellent snorkeling.

HISTORIC ANCHOR 10' - 18' Beg.
1000 pound anchor from 1850's schooner found in San Francisco Bay

PELICAN PT. & TREASURE COVE 10' - 60' Beg - Int
Sandy beach entry. Kelp sometimes to 1000' offshore. Snorkeling northward to Cameo Shores.

Best Tide Pools:
North End of Treasure Cove
Pelican Point
Rocky Bight
Reef Point Area

Greater Laguna Beach:

WEST JETTY “THE WEDGE” 5' - 25' Int - Adv
Entry in sand and surf. Best in winter with no surf. Jetty rocks. Sand bottom. Kelp forest. Lobsters. Octopi. Nudibranchs. Shoals of fish. Caution: "The Wedge" is
infamous for neck-breaking surf

CORONA DEL MAR (BIG CORONA) 5' - 35' Beg - Int
Entry off east jetty or sandy beach at either end of beach. Jetty good for lobster hunting. Night diving. Bat rays. Octopi. Garibaldi. Leopard sharks. Good beginner
training dive site. Good snorkeling to south

ROBERT BADHAM MARINE ECOLOGICAL RESERVE
Corona Del Mar State Beach to Crystal Cove State Park to 600' seaward no marine plants, marine life, geological formations (rocks), archaeological artifacts may be taken. Anchorage only in daylight

LITTLE CORONA 5' - 60' Beg - Int
Paved path to sandy beach. Tidepools. Reefs on both sides of beach. Gorgonians. Starfish.
Featherworms. Lobsters. Scallops. Game fish. Opaleye. Garibaldi. Octopi. Huge sheephead has been there since the 1970's. Excellent snorkeling, especially at high tide

HORSE RANCH (It's Gone) 10' - 60' Beg - Int
Part of Crystal Cove State Park. Sandy beach entry. Reefs. Kelp to 1000' offshore. Sheephead. Calico bass. Opaleye. Lobsters. Anemones. Starfish. Good snorkeling to north and Cameo Shores

CRYSTAL COVE UNDERWATER PARK 10' - 60' Beg - Adv
Paths to beach from parking lots. Sandy beach entries in north half of Irvine Coast Underwater Park. Numerous finger reefs. Gorgonians. Lobsters. Moray eels. Garibaldi.
Halibut. Sheephead. Good snorkeling in shallows

CRYSTAL COVE 10' - 45' Beg - Adv
Path from Los Trancos Parking to Sandy Beach in Front of 1940's-Style Cottage Community. Rocky. Kelp. White Sea Bass. Halibut. Bat Rays. Excellent Snorkeling & Spearing

REEF POINT & SCOTCHMAN'S COVE 10' - 60' Beg - Adv
Sandy beach entry. Reefs break surface just offshore. Extensive reefs to 1000'+ offshore. Word record 481 lb. giant seabass was caught here in 1961 (they are now off-
limits to fishing). Record 70 lb. white seabass was caught here in 1963. Game fish still abound. Rock walls with gorgonians. Starfish. Scallops

IRVINE COAST UNDERWATER PARK & REFUGE
Cameo Shores to El Moro Beach to 60' depth no marine plants, marine life, geological formations (rocks), archaeological artifacts may be taken. Anchorage only in daylight

IRVINE COVE 10' - 40' Int - Adv
Good kayak entry. Private beach. Reefs. Kelp. Sand. Garibaldi. Senorita. Lobsters. Sea Hares. Starfish. Scallops

EMERALD BAY 5' - 60' Beg - Adv
Sandy Beach or Rock Entry. Sand & Rock Bottom. Kelp. Sting Ray. Lobster. Garibaldi. Calico Bass. Excellent Snorkeling

CRESCENT BAY (SEAL ROCK) 10' - 70' Beg - Int
Sandy beach entry. Sand and rock bottom. Dead Man's Reef 600' offshore. Sea lions rest and play at Seal Rock. Halibut. Garibaldi. Octopi. Bat rays. Lobsters. Gorgonians. Good snorkeling

SHAW'S COVE 10' - 40' Beg - Adv
Sandy beach entry. Sand and rock bottom. Reefs from shoreline to 40' depth. Tunnels and caves. “The Crevice” on west side. Reef 450' offshore. Senorita. Garialdi. Many fish. Octopi. Excellent snorkeling. Common dive instruction and checkout spot

GLEN E. VEDDER (HEISLER PARK) ECOLOGICAL RESERVE
Divers Cove to Bird Rock to 600' seaward no marine plants, marine life, geological formations (rocks), archaeological artifacts may be taken. Anchorage only in daylight

DIVER'S COVE 10' - 50' Beg - Adv
Sandy beach entry. Sand and rock bottom. Reefs on south side to 1000' offshore. Reefs on north side 150' from beach to 1000' out. Halibut. Scallops. Moray eels. Lobsters. Good snorkeling near shore. Student dive spot

PICNIC BEACH 10' - 50' Beg - Adv
Easy path to beach. Easy beach entry. Rocks protruding from sand. Shallow reefs to 300' seaward. Lobsters. Game fish. Garibaldi. Many swimmers and snorkelers in summer

ROCKY BEACH 10' - 50' Beg - Adv
77 stairs to sandy and rocky beach. Reefs. Kelp. Yellowtail. Halibut. Many fish. Photogenic. Good snorkeling near beach

MAIN BEACH 10' - 50' Beg - Adv
Partially within Ecological Reserve. Beach entry by Lifeguard HQ. Kelp from Bird Rock seaward. Reefs to 600' out. Halibut and corbina over sandy areas. Lobsters in rocks to
south. Good snorkeling at Bird Rock

CLEO STREET BARGE 10' - 40' Adv
70 stairs to beach. Rocky sand entry. Ribbon kelp. Small reefs. Deteriorating 130' sunken barge (1958) 750' offshore at 40' depth. Lobsters. Halibut. Sand Bass

CRESS STREET 10' - 70' Int - Adv
Sandy and rocky beach entry. Large protruding boulders to 300' out at 30' - 40' depths.
Extensive reefs at 900'+ offshore at 60' - 70' depths. Lobsters. Gamefish on west side reefs

WOOD'S COVE 10' - 40' Beg - Int
Stairs at Diamond St.. Rocky sand entry. Boulder reef on east side. 30' deep reef on west side with a huge boulder rising almost to surface. Garibaldi. Nudibranchs. Anemones.
Gorgonians. Excellent Snorkeling

MOSS STREET 10' - 35' Beg - Int
Stairs at Moss St.. Sandy beach entry. Reefs and rocks. Crevices. Small caves. Best on Southwest side. Large reef 300 - 400' offshore. Golden gorgonians. Lobsters. Kelp Bass. Sheephead. Halibut

VICTORIA STREET 20' - 40' Int
82 stairs to beach at Sunset Terrace. Sandy beach entry. Sandy with few reefs. Halibut. Corbina

TREASURE ISLAND to ALISO BEACH 15' - 25' Beg - Int
Park at Aliso Beach. Sandy beach entry. North reefs off private beach at Treasure Island. South reefs have abundant marine life. Large calico bass. Rocky ledges
with invertebrates